Story and Source Ideas for Journalists
03/07/2016
This is a notice of upcoming events, photo opportunities and story ideas at UMass Lowell, compiled by the Office of University Relations, 978-934-3224. In case of inclement weather, call UMass Lowell’s weather hotline at 978-934-2121; if the university is closed, events are canceled. For more stories about UMass Lowell, visit www.uml.edu/pressroom. Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication unless otherwise noted.
Sources of the week
UMass Lowell faculty experts are available to discuss:
- Republican strategies to stop Donald Trump from securing the party’s nomination for president and how a brokered convention would work;
- The state of Irish politics this St. Patrick’s Day, a century after the 1916 Easter Rebellion that sought to establish Ireland as independent from British rule;
- How sleep disturbances affect workers’ job performance as clocks move one hour ahead for Daylight Saving Time, which begins on Sunday.
Contact UMass Lowell media relations if you need an expert source on any subject.
Programs Examine U.S. Policies, Attitudes on the Middle East
Researcher Discusses Uncovering Unknown Works of Writers
Life of Lowell’s Mill Girls Portrayed in Performance, Tour
Influence of Latino Americans Explored in Free Event Series
Three-Time U.S. Poet Laureate to Lead Program on Writing
River Hawks Fans Unite in Blue for Hockey East Quarterfinals
Programs Examine U.S. Policies, Attitudes on the Middle East
When: Tuesdays, March 8, March 22, March 29, 1 p.m.
What: U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East over the past 100 years – from the humanitarian aid provided after World War I to the fight against ISIS today – will be the focus of a free event series that is open to the UMass Lowell community and public. The six programs, to be held in March and April, will be led by Gregory Aftandilian, a former U.S. State Department analyst who has also served as a staff member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He is an associate with UMass Lowell’s Middle East Center for Peace, Development and Culture. Topics to be explored during this month’s programs are:
- The Palestine conflict – U.S. policy and response from 1945 to 1948, Tuesday, March 8;
- The Arab-Israeli conflict, 1948 through 1967 – The decision by President Harry Truman to recognize Israel and U.S. attitudes toward the country during the Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson administrations, Tuesday, March 22;
- The Arab-Israeli conflict since 1967 – U.S. policy achievements and challenges since the Carter administration, Tuesday, March 29.
Where: McGauvran Center, Room 309, South Campus, 71 Wilder St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Researcher Discusses Uncovering Unknown Works of Writers
When: Tuesday, March 8, 3:30 p.m.
What: Author and scholar Ammiel Alcalay will talk about what it’s like to discover the unknown correspondence, journals and writings of modern-day American poets during a free program for the campus and community. Alcalay and fellow researchers seek out these documents in public and private libraries and archives around the world through Lost & Found: the Poetics and Document Initiative, a program of the City University of New York. The event is presented by UMass Lowell’s Jack and Stella Kerouac Center for the Public Humanities in conjunction with “Kerouac Retrieved: Items from the John Sampas Collection,” an exhibit of the “On the Road” author’s personal items on display at the university’s Allen House.
Where: Allen House, South Campus, 2 Solomont Way, Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
MillLife of Lowell’s Mill Girls Portrayed in Performance, Tour
When: Tuesday, March 8, 6 p.m.
What: Lowell’s past as the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution will come alive during “Two Mill Girls: We are Not Machines.” Actress Marcia Estabrook will play Mary Paul, a “pro mill” worker and Sarah Bagley, an instigator of employee strikes, during a performance that will explore labor and women’s history, Victorian beliefs and society’s emerging industrialization in the 1800s. After the program, costumed interpreters will lead a candlelight tour of exhibits in Lowell National Historical Park’s restored boardinghouse, to include music performed on a 19th-century piano and refreshments. Part of Lowell Women’s Week, the free event is presented by UMass Lowell’s Tsongas Industrial History Center, a partnership between the university and the national park service. Members of the public who wish to attend should register by contacting tihc@uml.edu or calling 978-970-5080.
Where: Boott Cotton Mills Museum, Events Center, 115 John St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Influence of Latino Americans Explored in Free Event Series
When: Tuesday, March 8 and Tuesday, April 5, 7 p.m.
What: The history of Latinos in the United States and their contributions to American culture is the focus of a free event series presented by UMass Lowell Libraries and held at libraries on campus and in Lawrence and Lowell. During the Tuesday, March 8 program, “Prejudice and Pride,” Maria Matz, a UMass Lowell associate professor who teaches Latin American studies and culture, will lead a discussion about the labor movement led by César Chavez and the gains made by Mexican Americans in the 1960s and 1970s. During the program “Peril and Promise” on Tuesday, April 5, Matz will explore the rise of Latino American celebrities in popular culture. Members of the public interested in learning more may e-mail Sara_Marks@uml.edu or visit (http://uml.beta.libguides.com/programming) http://uml.beta.libguides.com/programming.
Where: Tuesday, March 8 – Pollard Memorial Library, 401 Merrimack St., Lowell. Tuesday, April 5 – Lawrence Public Library, 51 Lawrence St., Lawrence.
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Three-Time U.S. Poet Laureate to Lead Program on Writing
When: Wednesday, March 9, 5:30 p.m.
What: Three-time U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky will read his work and discuss his creative process during a program that will be free and open to the campus and community. Acclaimed around the world as a poet, essayist and translator, Pinsky served as poet laureate from 1997 to 2000. During his terms, he created and led the Favorite Poem Project, which asked people from across the country to submit their best-loved poem for inclusion in anthologies published by the initiative. The project also gave rise to a collection of videos that depict Americans reading and discussing their favorite poems. After the program, Pinsky will sign copies of his books for audience members. The event is presented by UMass Lowell’s English Department as part of its Writers on Campus series.
Where: O’Leary Library Learning Commons, Room 222, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
River Hawks Fans Unite in Blue for Hockey East Quarterfinals
When: Friday, March 11, 7:15 p.m., Saturday, March 12, 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 13, 4 p.m. (if needed)
What: UMass Lowell will begin its quest for the Hockey East tournament championship when the men’s team hosts Boston University in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs. The best-of-three game series promises to be a hard-fought battle, as the River Hawks are ranked No. 4 and the Terriers sit at No. 5 in the league. Game tickets are available at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell’s box office, online at TsongasCenter.com or by calling 866-722-8780. The round’s winner will advance to play in the semi-finals at TD Garden in Boston next weekend.
Where: Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Lowell
Contacts for media: Peter Souris, Athletics, 978-934-3771, Peter_Souris@uml.edu or Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu